Henrietta Shore facts for kids

Henrietta Mary Shore (born January 22, 1880 – died May 17, 1963) was a talented artist from Canada. She was a leader in a new art style called modernism. Henrietta spent much of her life living and working in the United States, especially in California.

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Henrietta Shore was born in Toronto, Canada. She was the youngest of seven children. Her parents were Henry and Charlotte Shore. Henrietta's mother really supported her dream of becoming an artist. However, she also told Henrietta to learn practical skills.

When she was fifteen, Henrietta started studying painting. Her teacher was a Canadian artist named Laura Muntz Lyall. At first, Henrietta painted everyday scenes. This style was popular in Toronto at the time.

Artistic Journey: Toronto, Europe, and New York (1900–1913)

Between 1900 and 1913, Henrietta traveled a lot. She went back and forth between Toronto, Europe, and New York. During this time, she studied at the New York School of Art. She learned from famous teachers like William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri. She often spent half the year studying in New York.

Robert Henri's art style, known as the Ash Can School, influenced Henrietta. This style focused on painting everyday life in cities. You can see this in her painting Negro Women and Children (1910-1915). This painting is now in the National Gallery of Canada. During this period, Henrietta became known in Canada as a promising young painter. She taught art classes and had her own art shows. Her work was also shown in group exhibitions in Paris, London, and Liverpool.

Life in Los Angeles: A Modern Art Pioneer (1913–1920)

In 1913, Henrietta moved from Toronto to Southern California. She settled in Los Angeles. There, she joined a small but important group of early modern artists. She quickly became successful. She won silver medals at the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego in 1914 and 1915.

Henrietta also showed her art in special exhibitions by the California Art Club. Critics gave her work good reviews. One review in 1916 called her one of the best "modernists." It said she used her intelligence and understanding in her art. The review praised her painting "Mother and Child" as a "real gem."

In 1916, Henrietta helped start The Los Angeles Modern Art Society. This group wanted to show more experimental art. They wanted to give new artists a chance outside of traditional art shows. Their first show was at the Brack Shops gallery. Their second show in 1918 included works by famous East Coast artists. These artists included Robert Henri and George Bellows. The Los Angeles Modern Art Society did not last long. Henrietta stayed close to her mentor, Robert Henri, through letters. After the group ended, Henri told her it was sometimes good for groups to end while they were still useful. In 1919, Henrietta started showing her work with a new group called the California Progressive Group.

"Among the Trees", published in the July 1923 Shadowland

New York City and Return to Los Angeles (1920–1926)

In 1920, Henrietta moved to New York City. Her art style changed a lot during this time. She went from painting everyday scenes to creating colorful, close-up abstract art. Abstract art uses shapes, colors, and lines to create an image. It doesn't always show things exactly as they look. This change might have happened because she saw other modern artists' work in New York. These artists included Arthur Dove, Charles Demuth, and Georgia O'Keeffe.

In 1923, Henrietta and O'Keeffe both had art shows in the same month. Critics reviewed their shows together. They said the artists' similar nature scenes showed a "female sensibility." Henrietta was bothered by this. She wanted her art to express deeper, spiritual ideas, not just be seen as "female." In 1923, Henrietta returned to Los Angeles. She continued to paint and show her work. In 1925, she even opened her own gallery and restaurant called Studio Inn.

Meeting Edward Weston and Travels to Mexico (1927–1930)

In 1927, Henrietta met the famous photographer Edward Weston. Weston was very impressed by her art. He said that when she painted a flower, she "WAS that flower." They quickly became good friends. Henrietta's paintings of seashells especially interested him. He even borrowed some of her shells to use in his own photographs. Henrietta was older and more established as an artist than Weston at the time.

Weston encouraged Henrietta to travel to Mexico. She went with her friend and fellow artist Helena Dunlap. In Mexico, Henrietta learned about lithography. This is a special printing method. She continued to use lithography when she returned to California. Her time in Mexico clearly influenced her art. You can see this in paintings like Women of Oaxaca. This painting shows women in traditional clothing carrying water jars.

Life in Carmel and Public Art (1928–1950)

Study for Limestone Quarry Industry

In the late 1920s, Henrietta moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Carmel was a popular art colony and resort. The beautiful nature in Carmel gave Henrietta lots of ideas for her paintings. In 1928, the Johan Hagemeyer Studio-Gallery in Carmel held a solo show of her work. In 1930, a big show of her paintings happened at Carmel's Denny-Watrous Gallery.

During this time, Henrietta also showed her art in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. She had shows in New York and Paris too. However, Henrietta struggled financially during the Great Depression. This was a time when many people had little money. She became less well-known, while Edward Weston became famous.

Like many artists then, Henrietta got money from government art projects. In 1936, she received a commission for six murals. Murals are large paintings on walls. These murals, like many New Deal art projects, showed scenes of industry and work. Henrietta painted four murals for the Santa Cruz Post Office. These showed the Fishing Industry, Limestone Quarry Industry, Artichoke Industry, and Brussel Sprouts Industry. She also painted Artichoke Pickers in the Old Customhouse in Monterey. Her last prominent work was Monterey Bay 1880-1910 in the Monterey Post Office.

Later Years and Passing (1950–1963)

Henrietta Shore spent her final years facing financial difficulties. She even had to sell some of her valuable photographs by Edward Weston to get by. She also became very sad. In 1951, her art studio was in the Sundial Lodge in Carmel. She once gave a painting to the lodge owner as payment for her rent.

In the late 1950s, Henrietta was placed in a care facility. Her friend, Jehanne Bietry Salinger, was very upset about this. She felt Henrietta was not "insane" and should not have been placed there. Henrietta Shore passed away in 1963 at the age of 83. She died in a care facility in San Jose, California.

Legacy and Recognition

After her death, Henrietta Shore's work was not as well-known as that of artists like Edward Weston and Georgia O'Keeffe. The Carmel Art Association organized a show of her work after she passed away. Her paintings that had not been sold were given to her nephews. In 1994, she was included in an exhibition called Origins of Abstraction in Canada: Modernist Pioneers. This show was organized by the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa.

Selected works

• Girl in Furs, c. 1908, National Gallery of Canada, oil on canvas, mounted on hardboard, 81.4 x 63.6 cm, Purchased 1997National Gallery of Canada (no. 39041)
• Women of Oaxaca, undated, lithograph on paper, MMA Acquisition purchase fund, 1978.272
• The Promenade, Centre Island, Toronto, c. 1911 oil on canvas, 44.4 cm × 76.7 cm (17.5 in × 30.2 in), Purchased 1997, National Gallery of Canada (no. 39040)
• Negro Woman and Two Children, c. 1916, oil on canvas, 137.8 x 113.6 cm, Purchased 1918, National Gallery of Canada (no. 1504)
• Gloxinia by the Sea, 1930-1935, oil on canvas, private collection
• The Artichoke Pickers, 1936-1937, California Department of Parks and Recreation

See also

In Spanish: Henrietta Shore para niños